Automatic manipulating device for forging machines



AUTOMATIQ MANIPULATING DEVICE FOR FORGING MACHINES Filed Aug. 4, 1921 4 S heet s-Sheet 1 WITNESS: IN VENITOR.

v H Tom Ex day 27, 1924.

J. J. FINDL'ATER AUTOMATIC MANIPULATING DEVICE FOR FORGI NG MACHINES Fild Aug. 4,

4 Sheets-Sheet NW Y B WI TNESS:

May 27 1924. 1,495,385

J. J. FINDLATER AUTOMATIC MANIPULATII JG DEVICE FOR FORGING- MACHINES Filed Aug. 4 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet WITNESS:

IN V EN TOR.

Patented May 27, 1924.

JOHN J'. FINDLATER, 0F HIGHLAND, PARK, MICHIGAN, ,ASSIGNOR 'IO FOB-D MOHOR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CO RPORATIONO'F DELAWARE,

AUTOMATIC MANIPULATING. DEVICE FOR FORGING MACHINES.

Application filed August 4, 1921;.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. F INDLATER, a citizen of the United States, residing at 100 Tuxedo Avenue, Highland Park, in the county of \Vayne and'State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in an Automatic Manipulating Device for ForgingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

The object ofmy invention is to provide new and useful improvements in an automatic manipulating device for forging machines, of a simple, durable, and inexpensive construction.

In connection with my invention, it will be understood that there are now in use forging machines which have certain-defi-' nite characteristics, and which are well known among men interested in the forgin art.

My invention consists in a work-supporting device which is operated automatically, for use in connection with such machines. The machines willnot=here be described in detail, as they are so well known, but the working parts of such machines which are altered on account of using my device, or, which are connected with my device, are illustrated and described. These 1 machines for forging consist, enerally, of a frame upon which are mounted dies divided into members, movable toward and from each other for the purpose of holding the material to be forged, and a ram carrying tools which moves up against the dies and forms or pierces the article being forged. At some place on the machine is a driving wheel which moves constantly, and which can be intermittently connected with the dies to move them toward and from each other for a single operation. These punch and die members are so constructed that the article formed thereby is formed by a succession.

ing-portion, and. the parts are so arranged that the small articles to be forged are formed from the end of-a bar of metal heatedto the proper temperature, the last opera ion be- Serial No. 489,739.

ing to sever the formed article from the bar.

These bars are heated at one end in a furnace disposed adjacent to the formii'ig machine, and are then usually carried by an over-head trolley to position where one end may be inserted in the proper forming portions of the dies. As'these forming portions are arranged in vertical series, it has been customary to'provide a hand operated chain hoist to move the bar of stock up and down to position it properly to enter the successive forming portions, which has necessitated the employment of an operator to operate the chain hoist, and has made the time elapsing between the operations of the machine a considerable factor in the number of articles formed by a given machine in a given length of time.

With the foregoing explanation in mind, it is the object of my invention to facilitate the handling of the heated bars of stock, which are fed to the forging machine, so that the bars may be most expeditiousl moved to position to be acted upon by each succeeding forming portion of the dies.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for moving the bar of stock with a step-by-step movement to position, to be acted upon and, to control this movement by the operation of the machine so that each die movement will automatically result in the stock being moved to position to be acted upon by the succeeding form.- ing portion.

A further object of my invention is to form an attachment for supporting the stock and for moving it to its various positions, which can be attached to the machines now in commercial use with a minimum amount of alteration, and which will be readily capable of adjustment to various types of machines.

A further ob 'ect of my invention is to provide means for automatically moving the stock to successive formingpositions and then automatically retuniing the stock to position to repeat" its progress thru? the forming steps.

A further object of my invention-is to provide a machine adapted to take advantage of the weight of. the stock used to assist in the operation of moving the stock from each position to the next, and to make provision for adjustment whereby stock of different weights may be efficiently handled.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination, and construction of the various parts of my improved device, as described in the specification, claimed in my claims, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a forging machine with my improved device thereon, the forging machine being illustrated somewhat diagrammatically in order to better illustrate the construction and advantages of my improved device.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail elevation of the control portion of my invention.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33, of Figure 2.

Figure 4t is a top or plan view of my improved control section, parts of the forging machine being shown to illustrate the connection between the control. mechanism and the forging machine proper.

Figure 5 shows a detail of cam member used in connection with my improved device.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view illustrating one of the cam members used in connection with my invention.

Figure 7 shows a top or plan view of the cam member illustrated in Figure 5.

Figure 8 shows a top or plan view of the slide bar associated with my device.

Figure 9 shows a side elevation of the slide bar.

Figure 10 shows a top or plan view of a cam device associated with my invention and Figure 11 shows a side elevation of the cam shown in Figure 10.

Referring tothe accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate, generally, longitudinal frame members of a rectangular frame upon which is mounted a reciprocating head 11 carrying punches, and a drive wheel 12. lVithin the forward portion of the machine frame are movable die members, suggested by the dotted lines 13 in Figure 1, which have vertically spaced forming portions, indicated by the dotted lines 1%, 15 and 16, arranged in vertical succession so that by inserting the end of a bar 17 into these forming portions successively, then the forged article may be formed progressively, as distinguished from being formed at a single stroke of the machine. The power wheel 12 is, in the form. of device here illustrated, rotated continuously by any suitable source of power, while the head 11 is reciprocated within the frame in a horizontal plane, intermittently, the connection between the wheel 12 and the head 11 being socontrolled by a foot pedal 18 that when the foot pedal 18 is depressed, then that the head 11 will reciprocate once thereby operating the die and punch members 11 and 13 to perform a single operation When it is desired to form a forged article, a bar 17 is inserted in the forming portion 1 1 and then the pedal 18 is tripped so that the punch and dies will makethe first forming of the end of the bar 17. After the dies have again separated, then the bar 17 is dropped to the position illustrated. a 2 in Figure l, and the machine again tripped to further form the end of the bar 17. ond forming operation, the bar 17 is brought to the position 3, illustrated in Figure l, and the formed forging is severed from the bar by the action of the third division of the punch and dies. The bars of stock 17, are heavy steel bars, and are ordinarily handied by passing a chain around them which is associated with a chain hoist, so that the hoist may be used to drop the bar from position 1 to position 2, and then from position 2 to position 3, and then to rc-raise the bar from position 3 to position 1.

It will be understood that these bars of stock are heated to a forging heat on one end only, and that the heated end is placed in the dies, so that after one article has been forged from the end of the bar, a second article may be formed by brin ing the bar back to starting position, providing the bar retains sufficient heat, and in fact a single heating of a bar might suflice for twenty or thirty articles if the bar could be handled rapidly enough.

The parts just described are of ordinary construction and form no part of my invention, except in so far as they support the parts of my invention so that the operation of such parts may be greatly facilitated. A

guiding frame is secured to the top of the machine frame adjacent to the upper longitudinal member 10 and composed of a casing having a rear web 20 with members 21 and 22 forwardly thereof. These members 21 and 22 are connected to the rear web 20 by transverse members 23, so that a guiding rack or member is formed to prevent lateral displacement of the slide bar designated, generally, by the reference letter A. This slide bar A has the right-hand end thereof, as shown in. Figure 1, pivotally connected at 24 with a bell crank lever having arms 25 and 26 which is pivotally supported at 27 above the machine frame. Suspended from the right-hand end of the arm 26 is a yoke device 28 having at the bottom thereof a transverse bar 29 designed to form a rest for the bar of stock 17. Nuts 30 are provided on the yoke 28 to vertically adjust the bar 29, or rest, so that the rest 29 may be in a desired position relative to the die sections 1 1, 15 and 16 when the bell crank lever is in certain pie-determined positions. The positions of the bell crank lever are, of course, in turn controlled by the movement of the slide bar A, so that the reciprocation After the sectermining the weight which is applied to the rest, thepressure tending. to force-the slide barA laterally, may be nicely adjusted; The slide bar Alias acstop member 32 projecting rearwardly therefrom, as appears in Figure 3; and this stop 32bears against shoulders ofa cam device designated, generally, by the reference letter B. This cam member is secured to the front'wall of the web '20 of'the main casting of my invention, and has threevertical shoulders designated by the reference numerals 33, 34 and 35, against which the stop 32 may successively bear. It will be seen thatifthe counterbalance 31 is properly adjusted then, that when a bar 17 is placed on the rest 29 the result will be to tend vto yieldingly force the slide l bar A toward the left, as the device is illustrated in Figure 1. If, then, means be provided for successively lifting the slide bar after each stroke of thehead 11, it will. be seen-thatvthe slide bar will be. permitted to first move from the shoulder 35 to the shoulder 34, and on the secondmovement from the shoulder 34 to the shoulder 33; this, in turn, allows the rest 29 and the bar thereon to drop a distance equivalent .to the distances between the forming portions 14, 15 and 16. When the stop 32 is against the shoulder 33, the bar will be in position 3, as illustrated in Figure 1, .so that the return strokeof the head 11 may be arranged to lift the stop 32 over the shoulder 33, and consequently oif thecam member B, which in turn allows the 1 lower surface 36 of the slide bar to drop down onto the stop surface 37, in which position a shoulder 38 'on the slide bar, willbe-engaged by a cross head 39. This shoulder 38 can be made out of a separate piece and secured to the slide bar A, by the screws 4.0,

if desired, so that it may be re-placed when.

the contacting surfaces become worn. The cross head 39 rec-iprocates in-guides 41 and 42 formed from the main casting of my in-- vention, and such reciprocation is caused by a pitman 43 which is connected at one end to the cross head 39 and at the other end to a wrist pin 44 on the drive wheel 1.2. The throw of this pitman 43 is so arranged that the movement thereof to the right-in Figure 1, will move the slide bar A,nto the right a suflicient distance to bring the stop 32 slightly to the right of the shoulder 35 on the cam B.

A lever or arm 45 is pivoted on the bolt.

tends forwardly to position beneath the slide bar A. A roller 48 is mounted'on the end of-the extension, 47, directly beneath the surface 36 0f the slide bar and the free end of the arm-or lever-45, and-is *yieldi'nglyurged upwardly'by a spring 49 which is supported at its upper end on an extension 50 from thecross member 23 ofthemain casting. The left-hand end of thetslide bar A has its lower surface inclineddownwardly at 51, r

so that when this inclined portion comes in contactwith the roller 48, thenthe move ment of the slide bar A to the rigl'it caused by the pushing of the cross head 39, will cause the cross bar. to be yieldingly urged upwardly against the lower side 52 of the cam member, 13. As soon as the stop 32 passes the shoulder. 35, the urge of the spring 49 will consequently move the slide barupwardly, and with it thestop 32, to position where the Weight of the rest. 29 will reverse the movement of the slide bar and cause the stop 32-to bear against the shoulder 35. The arm-45 has its upward movement limited in any suitable way-to prevent it from throwing the stop 32 above the first shoulder 35 of thecam member B.

From the description of? the foregoing to. position where it isxcaught by the cross head 39- and pressed to the right to a position illustrated in the drawings. Thefollowing-means areprovided for-the purpose of lifting the slide bar, as described:

A cam member 54 isadj'ustably attached to any suitable part-ofthe reciprocating head 11, and the lever or -arm 55is-provided' with a roller 56 atzone end-thereof designed to contact'with said cam 54. The lever 55 is second arm '59 is secured to this rockshaft and extended in a substantiallyupward direction therefrom. This arm 59' has a spring 60' secured thereto, and suitably fastened to another portion of the frame so as to urge the upper endof the said-arm 59 to the left, as illustrated in thedrawings, thereby yieldinglyholding the roller 56 into engagement with the cam 54. The upper end of this arm 59 is also connected by an adjustable link 61 t0 asecond arm 62, mounted on the rock shaft 63. used'for adjusting the length of link 61, but itwill be understood that my invention consists in makingthis link adjustable as to itslength, rather than in the form of adjustment. The rock shaft 63hasa jaw mem-v A turnbuckle adjustment 64 isher connected thereto adjacent to the forward end thereof and a trigger member 66 is pivoted at 67 in said jaw member 65. Mount ed on the rear face of the slide bar A is a cam member illustrated in the elevation in Figure 5, which has the horizontal cam shoulders 68, 69 and 70. It will be seen that when the stop 32 is bearing against any of the cam faces 33, 34 or 35, then, that the trigger 66 will be carrying the weight of the slide bar A on one of the cam faces 68, 69 or 70. Now, if the reciprocating head 11 be moved to position such that the cam 5 f raises the roller 56 it will be seen that the shaft 57 will be rocked thru the arm 55 to thereby, in turn, move the upper end of the arm 59 to the right. Movement of the upper end of the arm 59 to the right in turn moves the link 61 bodily to the right, thereby in turn rocking the arm 62 to the right which in turn causes the aw 65 to move upwardly, thereby raising the trigger 66 upwardly. The upward movement of the trigger 66 correspondingly raises the slide bar A until the stop 32 there on clears the shoulder on the cam member B against which it has been resting. The link 61 is adjusted in its length, and the longitudinal position of the cam 54- is adjusted relative to the head 11, so that the upward throw of the trigger 66 will raise the slide bar A just a sufficient distance to clear the adjacent shoulder on the cam member B. It will be seen that when the cam 52 is moved out from under the roller 56 by the comple tion of the return movement of the head 11, then, that the trigger 66 will be returned to its normal position, as illustrated in the drawings, by the spring 60. hen it has so returned to its normal position, the movement of the slide bar A will place the succeeding faces 68, 69 and 70 in position so that v the next upward movement of the trigger 66 may again raise the slide bar A. It will be noted that there is a spring 71 arranged between a projection on the jaw 65 and the trigger 66, so that the latter will be swung upon its pivot 67 to be yieldingly held into the path of the cam member having the faces 68, 69 and 70. hen, however, this cam member slides to the left over the horizontal faces of the cam B, the former cam will force the end of the trigger out of the way against the pressure of the spring 71. Means are also provided for causing the device to repeat any given operation-that is, to cause the rest 29 to retain its position following a given stroke of the ram or head 11. I have only illustrated in the drawings, means for holding the slide bar stop 32 in position to repeat the action of die portions 15, but it will be understood that similar means may be used for holding the slide bar in any of its positions. In this instance, the pin 71 is slidably mounted in the main casting 20 in position so that the forward end of the pin 71 will slide to position in the path of the stop 32. For reciprocating the pin 71 to slide it into or out of the path of the stop 32 I provide a stand 7 a, which has a bell crank lever 7 3 mounted therein, which, in turn, is operatively connected with an operating rod 75 and the pin 71. It will be seen that the reciprocation of the rod 75 will reciprocate the pin 71, and selectively move it into or out of the path of the stop 32, thereby permitting the operator to, at will, repeat the stroke for the die section 15. The stroke for the die section 15 is repeated because the pin 71 extends into position so that its forward end is almost touching, or touching, the rear sur face of the slide bar A and the pin is spaced very slightly vertically above the top edge of the cam 84 and somewhat to the leftof said edge. It will thus be seen that when the trigger 66 contacts with the cam face 69 to lift the slide bar A, the pin 32 will. be lifted clear of the cam surface 34 and allowed to slide along the upper edge of that cam surface until it strikes the stop 71. This sliding is just sufficient to givethe pin 32 something to rest on during the time that the stroke in connection with the die sections 15 is being repeated. As soon as the pin 71 is moved out of the path of the stop 32, then the weight on the rest 29 will move the slide bar A to the left so that the stop 32 will bear against the cam face 33, thereby automatically bringing the rest 29 to position where the work thereon will be opposite the die section 16.

in the practical operation of my improved device it will be understood that the device is assembled in the manner described and illustrated. and connected to forging machine having dies, reciprocating head, fra ...e, and driving wheel, as illustrated. A bar of material may be brought to the rest 29 and dropped thereon by an over-head trolley. It may then be swung on the yoke 28 to position within the upper forming portion of the dies. The pedal 18 is then tripped to trip the reciprocating head 11, thereby causing the first forming operation to be completed. As the head 11 is returning the cam 541 thereon contacts with the roller 56 thereby raising the end of the. trigger 66 which raises the slide bar A, until the stop 32 clears the shoulder The weight of the bar 17 and the rest 29 then urges the slide bar to the left until. the stop 32 engages the face 34 of the cam B, which permits, in turn, the movement of the slide bar A, necessary to allow the rest 29 to drop to the position No. 2, illustrated in Figure 1. lVhen the pedal 18is again tripped a similar result follows the return of the head 11, thereby bringing the rest 29 to position No. 8, tr e stop 32 against the cam face 33, and the operating end of the trigger 66 against the cam face 70. /Vhen the pedal 18 is again tripped to perform the third operation of the dies, the return of the head 11 thru the cam 5% causes the operating end of the trigger 66 to lift the stop 32 over the cam face 33 thereby allowing the weight of the rest 29 and bar thereon to force thestop 32 completely past the cam member B, and permitting the slide bar A to drop to-position where the stop 38 thereon will be engaged by the cross head 39 and thereby return to position where the stop 32 will bear against the cam face 35. In other words, the stop 32 moves around the cam member B, completely passing over the upper side of the cam member with a step-by-step motion, and being returned below the cam member with one continuous movement. This return movement of the slide bar A. tozposition where the stop 32 engages the cam face 35, lifts the rest 29 and the bar 17 thereon to position No. 1, where the same operations may be repeated. The cycle may be repeated as often as the heat condition of the bar'17 or the length of the bar '17 will permit. IVhen the latter has become too short, or, too cold, it is removed from the rest29 by an over-head trolley, or any other suitable means.

Among the many advantages of my improved device it should be mentioned first, that it cuts down at least by half, the timerequired for making forgings in the type of machine with which the invention is intended to be used, as compared with any other method of using these machines with which I am' familiar. It also saves the labor of one man in connection with each machine used, besides doubling the out-put of the machine, and in addition tothese outstanding features, the device saves'heat, as a bar when heated may be operated upon so muchmore rapidly that the heat imparted thereto by a heating furnace will be retained sufficiently to make a greater number of forgings before the bar is put back into the furnace for re heating, so that further time is saved by making it unnecessary to change the bars 17 so often. In addition to these advantages, I am enabled by my improved rest 29, to more accurately place the work, as this rest always comes exactly to the correct position for supporting the work, whereas, it is substantially impossible to exactly duplicate the positions of the work relative to the forming portions of the dies, with an ordinary chain hoist. The work turned out is, therefore, much more accurate.

Some changes may be made in the arrangement and construction of the various parts of my improved device without departing from the spirit of the invention therein, and it is my intention to cover by my claims such changes as may be reasonably included within the scope thereof.

I claim as my invention:

'1. In an attachment for forging machines having a frame, a continuously rotating element on said frame, die "members having a plurality of fori'ning sections therein, a head mounted to reciprocate in the frameto cooperate with saiddie members, and means for intermittently connecting: the head with saidelement to reciprocate the head, the combination of a work-support with means for connect-ing said support with the head to change its position after eaclrstroke of the head'to bring the support successively opposite each forming portion ofthe dies.

2. In an attachment for forging machines having aframe, a continuously rotating element on said frame, die members having a plurality of forming sections therein, ahead mounted to reciprocate inthe frame to cooperate with said die members, and means for intermittently connecting the headwith said element to reciprocate'the head, the combination of a work support with means for connecting said supportwith the-head to change its position after each stroke of thehead to bring the support successively opposite each forming-portion of the dies, and means for connecting the rest with said elements to return the rest to position opposite the first forming portion after the head has moved it successively-to positions opposite the remaining forming. portions.

3. In an attachment for-forming machines having dies witha series of forming portions therein, a work support, and means automatically controlled by the machine for successively bringing the support opposite the forming portions.

4. In an attachment for forming machines having dies with a series of formingportions therein, a work support, and means automatically actuated bythe machine for successively bringing the support opposite the forming portions and for returning the support to starting position.

In an attachment for forming machines having dies with a plurality of forming portions, a work support movable to position opposite each of said forming portions, and adjustably counterbalanced means for permitting said work support to move it to said positions.

6. In an attachment for forming machines having dies with a plurality of forming portions, a work support movable to position opposite each of said forming portions, and adjustably counterbalanced means for permitting said work support to move it to said positions successively and to return it to starting position.

'7. In an attachment for forming machines having dies with a plurality of forming portions, a swinging wo'rk support movable to position opposite each of said forming portions, and adjustably counterbalanced means for permitting said Work support to move it to said position.

8.1n an attachment for forming machines having dies with a plurality of forming portions, a swinging Work support movable to position opposite each of said forming portions, and adjustably counterbalanced means for permitting said work support to move it to said positions successively and to return it to starting position.

9. In an attachment for a forging machine having die members therein with a plurality of sections for forging, a driving wheel and an operating head selectively connectible to said driving wheel, a lever pivotally mounted on said machine, a work rest supported at one end of said lever to permit swinging of the rest relative to the lever, and means operatively connecting said lever and the head to move the lever a predetermined dis tance with each operation of the head, on to means operatively connected with said wheel, to return said lever to a predetermined position after it has been moved a predetermined number of times by the head, whereby work carried by said work support may be operated upon successively by the sections of the dies, and the work may then be returned to position to repeat the series of operations.

10. In a work-supporting device for forging machines, a slide bar, means for yieldingly urging said slide bar toward one limit of its movement, a series of stop members arranged to engage the slide bar at predetermined intervals when said har is moved by said yielding means, and mechanical means for returning said slide bar against the urge of said yielding means.

11. In a device of the character described,

adapted to be mounted on a forging machine having die members, a frame member. a slide bar mounted therein, a cam member having a plurality of shoulders thereon secured to said frame member, a stop device on said slide bar adapted to successively engage said shoulders, means for yieldingly urging said slide bar in a direction to cause such stop to successively engage such shoulders, and independent means adapted to be operatively connected withv the forging machine for disengaging said stop from the shoulders successively.

12. In a device of the character described, adapted to be mounted on a forging machine having a frame, a movable head, a driving wheel, a slide bar, a work restoperatively connected therewith, a. cam member having a plurality of shoulders disposed in the path of movement of said slide bar, means for operatively connecting said bar with said head to cause the bar to successively engage said shoulders, and means operatively connected with said wheel for returning said bar to its primary position after it has successively engaged the shoulders on said cam, whereby the worlr support may be moved by said slide bar successively to a plurality of positions and then may be automatically returned to its primary position.

13. In a device of the class described, adaptably mounted on a machine having movable die members, a work supporting device, means for automatically controlling the position of the work supporting device with each operation of the machine, and a manually controllable means for rendering said controlling means inoperative.

JOHN .T. FINDLATER.

Witness:

JOHN M. OAHILL. 

